Saturday, October 08, 2011

People photos from the Midwest Birding Symposium

I'm going to spare you my excuses for not updating my blog more.

So September brought the Midwest Birding Symposium in Lakeside, Ohio. My arm got twisted (Thanks, Jeff!) and I am so glad I gave in. Not only was it a birding event, it was full of faces I wanted to see, people I love to spend time with, and lots of new and wonderful people to meet.
There are a bazillion photos to share....here are about, oh, forty of them.

First, Palito:
Palito got to meet lots of new people and see new places...

And now the people:
Okay, I was totally innocent this time. I was INNOCENTLY taking photos of Lynne and Kathi, and what happens? Up goes the FINGER.
And look at the hairy eyeball she is giving me too!

Okay, funny story. Al Batt told a hilarious story the last night of the symposium, and here's a short synopsis:
When he was a teenager, he and a friend let some Muscovy ducks loose in their high school. They put tags on the wings of FOUR ducks: Duck #1, Duck #2, Duck #3 and Duck #5. And the next day, the school was in an uproar because they "couldn't find the last duck".
Well, we found Duck #4!

Here's Kathi being all volunteery at her post at the information/registration booth:

Ah, the boat ride on Thursday night. Lynne and Ruthie had JUST gotten there as the boat was leaving.
It was a fun, albeit rocky trip. And it was GREAT to finally meet Ruthie...we actually got her to Ohio!

Oh, and here's a random bird photo:

Do yourself a favor and mark your calendars for the next Midwest Birding Symposium....
In 2013!

Not that you ever need one, but that Palito is once heck of an ice breaker in any situation. I'm thinking now that I just gotta get me a mascot. Not much hope of finding one better than Palito...I mean, well you know, that backside resembling a penis, a whistle you can blow on, and the great shape of a mischievous owl.

Click on this link when you are having a bad day and need a giggle

A Glossary for newcomers to the blog:

"Embrace your Inner Sheep": You'll just have to read back a ways for the explanation of that one.

FTS (Also known as F*** the Swainsons): When you just cannot, under any circumstances, get out and look at another bird today. That's it. I don't care what it is. F*** the Swainsons!

The Flock: A group of women (and a few men thrown in for good measure) who met here in Cyberspace and now travel together to birding festivals. We are unique in this because birders don't usually travel in "packs".

Learning Lemur: (See Science Chimp)

RAPTOR: A Cincinnati-based rehab center for birds of prey (also where I work)

Science Chimp: A term coined by Julie Zickefoose. Meaning anyone who sees something nature-oriented (whether it be scat or bones or the scene of a predator strike) and MUST figure out the circumstances. There is much grunting and "eep-eep-eeping" involved in a full-on Science Chimp display. Someone who is learning the art of Chimping can be called a "Learning Lemur".

"Squeee!": This is a noise you make when something is so cute or perfect, no other word will do.

"What? Lynne has herpes?": What your blogger heard and said during a quiet moment at an owl prowl when someone said that Lynne (Hasty Brook) has groupies.